Palin says her new show won't be overtly political

Saturday, January 11, 2014

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Sarah Palin says she doesn't expect her new outdoors television show on the Sportsman Channel to be political — at least not overtly so.

Given her background, though, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate told reporters Friday that some politics may seep through. She said she's interested in promoting freedom of speech and gun owners' rights.

"I want to be able to showcase what it is that I think is a healthy lifestyle and that utilization and enjoyment of God's green Earth," she said.

Her show, "Amazing America," premieres on the outdoors-oriented network in April, and will profile personalities who like hunting and fishing. Palin will serve as the host, introducing the featured personalities, and occasionally traveling to where they live.

The Sportsman Channel is available in nearly a third of American homes with television, and is looking for the attention a personality like Palin can provide. Gavin Harvey, the network's CEO, said that he's anointing Palin "The First Lady of the Outdoors."

The former Alaska governor is a Fox News Channel analyst and had a previous show on TLC about characters in her home state. She said that she's "more excited about this (Sportsman Channel) project than I've been about many of the other projects I've done," although she didn't elaborate.

Although many people don't associate her with "that granola lifestyle," Palin said that she and her family eat organic food whenever they can.

"I do appreciate being able to feed my kids healthy food," she said. "Their dinner just happens to be wrapped in fur, not cellophane."

Palin said she particularly hopes that young women can be attracted to outdoor sports, and that her series encourages that.

"The world would be better to have more young women holding a fish in a picture and fewer of them in a bathroom looking in the mirror, holding a camera and taking a selfie," she said.